1. What is the Afterschool Snack Program? 

 The Afterschool Snack Program is a federally assisted snack program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. The Afterschool Snack Program is administered at the Federal level by the Food and Nutrition Service. At the State level, the program is usually administered by State education agencies, which operate the program through agreements with local school food authorities in 25,978 schools and institutions. 

 

2. How does the Afterschool Snack Program work? 

 

The Afterschool Program operates similar to the National School Lunch Program. Generally, public or nonprofit private schools of high school grade or under and public or nonprofit private residential child care institutions may participate in the Afterschool Snack Program. School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the snack program receive cash subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for each snack they serve. In return, they must serve snacks that meet Federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced price snacks to eligible children. 

 

3. What are the food requirements for afterschool snacks? 

 

Afterschool snacks must contain at least two different components of the following four: a serving of fluid milk; a serving of meat or meat alternate; a serving of vegetables or fruits or full strength vegetable or fruit juice; a serving of whole grain or enriched bread or cereal.